Alternate Paths: Kagurazaka
by Exitheart
Summary: An Asuna/Negi story that takes place during the Mahora Festival.
1. Chapter 1: A Night of Unrequited Love

First story I'm sharing here so I hope you enjoy. It's an Asuna/Negi story that starts off during the Mahora Festival.

Disclaimer: I dont own any part of Negima, I'm just a fan of Ken Akamatsu's work.

***

Chapter: A Night of Unrequited Love

It was a night full of merriment as thousands of people gathered into the streets to celebrate the Mahora Festival. Excitement and laughter filled the air, but all was not fun and games. There upon a single rooftop stood an unlikely couple. A nervous young girl and a calm older man.

The two of them stood there isolated from the rest of the world, and it was here the girl silently struggled with herself. She had one clear objective in mind, to confess her feelings for the older man before her. It took her a great deal of effort to finally get this one moment to be alone with the man she admired so much, and she didn't want to let this chance go to waste. She found it hard to get such simple words out into the open. Simple words that had such a great mysterious power. Words that if said could change one's life forever. But every time she opened her mouth, no words came out.

This nervous girl found it so ridiculous that she couldn't say such simple words, and even more so that someone else who was far worse at these situations was able to do it. Her heart was sinking further and further into despair the more she thought about how hopeless she was. But then she remembered a certain troublemaker who once told her that _courage was the real magic._ With this she found a new sense of resolve, and decided that now was the time to do it.

The girl stood there in front of the older man clutching her chest as her heart began beating faster and faster. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind, it was now or never.

"Takahata-sensei ever since I was young...I've always...I've always been in love with you." she said it. This girl put forth all her courage into this one moment to confess her feelings.

Takahata was surprised by his students' words, and yet a sad look overcame his face. In his mind he felt that he didn't deserve to be loved. He took a careful look at the girl and regretfully gave his answer.

"Thank you...Asuna-kun, it make me happy hearing that...but I'm sorry." Takahata's words pierced through Asuna's heart but she stood there and took every bit of the pain without showing it.

"Oh...well I think I'll call it a day...now if you'll excuse me." Asuna responded trying to laugh off the situation but she wasn't fooling anyone. She ran away from that awkward moment. She wanted to cry so hard but couldn't do it in front of the person she loved, so she ran as fast as she could.

Asuna ran without any destination within mind, the only thing she wanted to do right now was to get away from that scene, away from Takahata. Her breathing became harder and her lungs started to scream in agony, but she wouldn't stop running. Tears began welling up within her eyes and soon the world around her became a blurry mess. She didn't care what was in front of her; she just kept running hoping she'd be able to escape reality.

***

At the same time of Asuna's heartbreak, a child and a student were walking through the festival together.

"Hey Negi-kun, do you you really want things to work out for Asuna?" The girl cheerfuly said to the boy.

"Eh? What do you mean Konoka-san?" Negi replied confused.

"Hmm...Don't you think losing Asuna to someone else is a bit sad?" She said in a teasing manner.

Negi took this in and thought about the relationship he shared with Asuna before giving his response to Konoka.

"Well, whenever she ignores me it makes me really sad..." Negi said this as he remembered the fight he once had with Asuna.

Konoka cheerfully laughed as she heard Negi's words, "Ah I knew it! Negi-kun has feelings for Asuna~!"

As Konoka's words rolled off her tounge in a playful manner, Asuna suddenly appeared from within the crowd. She was running in a desperate manner with tears flowing freely from her eyes. As she forcefully made her way through the crowd and passed Negi she had a second of clarity and instantly recognized the boy. The shock of seeing Negi so suddenly made her feel even more ashamed with herself as she remembered his words of encouragement. She didn't want to face him at this moment and put forth all her strength to run even harder.

"ASUNA-SAN~!?" Negi quickly shouted as the girl passed him, but she didn't listen. "Konoka-san...Asuna-san was crying wasn't she?" Negi said in a worried voice. Konoka stared off into the direction where Asuna had disappeared and nodded her head in agreement.

"Negi-kun...go after her." Konoka said. "Bad things will happen if you let her go."

Negi's heart skipped a beat as he heard Konoka's words. He wanted the best for Asuna even if he couldn't do a damn thing for her, he still wanted to be by her side no matter what. He clentched his fist and gave the first answer that came to mind.

"I'm going after her!" Negi said in a serious voice.

***

Asuna ran far away from the rest of the world before fatigue finally got the better of her. She stopped in the middle of an empty park with a large fountain display. And with a quick look around the area she found herself walking towards a bench overlooking the fountain to rest in.

"Stupid Negi, why'd he have have to see me like that?" Asuna said as she collasped onto the bench. "Huh...why the hell do I care if that stupid brat saw me?" Her troubled mind ate away at her as she thought about both Takahata and Negi. The girl's eyes fixated on the water as she thought about many things that night. Her history with Takahata and her fairly bizarre relationship with Negi. The more she tried to think about what she liked about Takahata the harder it was for her to remember a reason to love him. Negi popped into her head everytime she thought about Takahata and this greatly disturbed her. She was in love with the older man but the boy was so close to her.

"Stupid Negi get the hell out of my head!" She screamed out with a shaking fist. She looked around to reconfirm that no one was there and silently looked towards the ground with a thoughtful expression. "Even if I say that... I already kissed that brat twice." She sat there silently after saying these words and let time pass without notice.

"Asuna-san..." A familiar voice came from behind her. "Can we talk?"

The voice caught Asuna off guard and she wanted to run away again but every part of her body screamed to stay put. She sat there without moving and wished so hard that this person would just leave her alone for now. But something inside of her wanted the opposite. Something within this girl's heart wanted to embrace him.

"Are you here to make fun of me...Negi-bouzu?" She said in a broken voice.

"Now why would I do something like that?" Negi replied in a calm manner. "Asuna-san, you shouldn't be sad right now, you had the courage to confess your feelings and thats not an easy thing to do."

"Then why did I have to be dumped like that?" Asuna quickly replied. "Maybe if I wasn't so stupid I would've had the brains to know it would've turned out like this. Plus my personality sucks, and I'm not really that pretty either..." She hid her face between her knees and started to sulk as she said this.

Negi was visually upset after hearing her words of self doubt. "Asuna-san, look at me!" He forcefully grabbed her and looked directly into her eyes. "What you just said...none of that is true, not a single word of it." His sudden agressive nature took the girl by surpise. "The Asuna-san I know is beautiful and so determined, don't let what Takamichi said get to you, because even if he doesn't return your feelings, I still really like you."

Tears started to form in Asuna's eyes as she heard Negi's words.

"You stupid brat...10 year old kids like you shouldn't be cheering up girl's like me." She shoved her face into Negi's chest as her tears flowed uncontrollably. Negi in turn pulled her body closer to him and hugged her.

***

An hour had now gone by since Negi found Asuna alone on that bench. Fireworks filled the night sky with a variant rainbow of illumination. And the girl who had cried so many tears that night was now resting peacefully on the young boy's lap.

Remembering the girl's sad expression earlier pained the boy's heart as he ran his hand through the girl's hair. His eyes wandered upon her face as she calmly watched the fireworks. It was the first time for this boy that he truly took in just how beautiful this girl was.

"Asuna-san..." The boy whispered to the girl. "Do you regret it?"

Asuna's eyes focused on Negi's worried look as she thought about her response. "It hurts, but no, I'm glad that I was able to hear the truth."

"I see." Negi replied vaguely. "You know...magic can't fix everything in life."

"I know, you said that when we first met. Courage is the real magic isn't it?" Asuna said this as she reminisced their first day together.

Negi smiled as he heard her response. "You remembered."

"It was your words that gave me the courage to confess, stupid." Asuna replied.

Negi took another long look at Asuna's face before saying another word. "Just this once, Asuna-san. Don't get mad at me." He reached into his pocket as he said this and pulled out an elegant looking watch. He looked over it briefly and raised it towards the night sky. A rush of magic flowed from the boy into the watch and soon the world around them began to disappear.


	2. Chapter 2: A World of Mirrors

For everyone who left encouraging comments I'd like to thank you but at the sametime I would like to formally apologize for taking such a long time to continue writing it. Bunch of things came up like my friends wedding and endless papers due in school.

Quick note, when I started writing chapter 2 last week it turned into a huge document so I decided to split the chapter. This doesn't cover everything that I had originally planned on releasing in chp 2 but please look forward to the rest in chp 3 which is undergoing a lot of rewrites right now.

***

Chapter 2: A World of Mirrors

We face life as if it were our own personal story book. Walking around every day we unknowingly make decisions that influence the creation of an alternate path. A world of one is actually a world of many as a new life is born through every choice we make. The many strings of fate are always present, but it is only you who can decide which path to take.

Did you make the right choice?

***

A rainbow of illumination spread throughout the night sky as a young boy made a decision that would change his life forever. A decision that would ultimately present a new path of tears that one must follow in order to find happiness. It was here, under this very night sky that Negi chose to chase after a heartbroken Asuna.

As the two sat under a blanket of faded stars they thought about many things. Their future, their relationship, and everything that had happened only moments before meeting in this isolated world. A reflection of memories became vivid as their minds began to wander. It is because of these memories a decision was made to further accept an existence that was never meant to be.

Tired from all the running and tears, Asuna lay her head down on the boy's lap. She opened her eyes to the night sky and fully accepted the visual stimulus that the fireworks offered. As the girl lay there on the boy's lap he gently ran his hand through her silky hair while watching over her in silence. He remembered the look on the girl's face as she ran past him and felt a twisted feeling in his heart. As he looked over her he soon became entrapped in a world of confusion as his eyes now saw something that he never noticed before. This girl that was so close to him right now was beautiful. His heart skipped a beat.

An exchange of whispers took place before the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out fanciful watch. He offered it to the night sky filling it with all of his strength, in hope of doing something right. As the vessel of hope began to overflow with magic everything in the world around them began to fade into nothing.

***

The beautiful night sky that was once filled with faded stars and flashing colors became nothing more than a brilliant ocean of blue. It was morning once more on the second day of the Mahora Festival, and there in the middle of all the excitement sat an unlikely couple.

"Huh? Hey Negi-brat what'd you bring me here for?" Asuna was confused as she looked around to confirm what had just happened. Negi looked over at her and realized he couldn't say why he did it.

"I uhh…oh, I just remembered I didn't give you as much time on my festival schedule. As your homeroom teacher it's my duty to make time for my students." Negi said it while fidgeting around looking for a better excuse. Asuna only looked at him with discerning eyes.

"You're a terrible liar." She said as she poked him in the head. He tried to laugh it off as she said this to him.

"Well uhh, I was wondering if you would like to spend the day with me Asuna-san?" She stared into Negi's eyes before giving him an answer.

"Fine with me, I've had a terrible night anyways; it'd be a welcome change of pace."

"Asuna-san, leave it to me." He smiled gently at her with an aura of maturity.

"Stupid brat, you're supposed be a kid remember?" She said in response to his grown up attitude. "I'll be back; I need to use the toilet." She got up from where she was sitting and started to leave, but as she distanced herself from the boy she suddenly turned around, "About last night…thank you." As soon as she said this she ran off leaving Negi at a loss of words.

With Asuna gone Negi was left to think about what exactly he was doing. He wasn't sure of what bringing her back to this time would do, and in his head he wondered what he was feeling for Asuna. Love wasn't something a 10 year old child could easily comprehend even for someone as mature as Negi. Despite the fact of being confessed to by one of his other students he couldn't form a real response on how he feels about the ones close to him. Was love something that could be so easily understood? Or is what we feel just a complex way of saying infatuation.

Frustrated he took a deep breath as he sunk into the bench. With his eyes to the sky he soon withdrew from the rest of the world as he closed off his sense of reality.

"Hehe, you sure are daring Aniki" A small furry head popped out of Negi's pocket, reawakening his senses.

"Huh? Chamo-kun, when did you…were you there the entire time!?"

"Of course Aniki, that Ane-san is a delicate lady after all." A mischievous smile overcame his face. "I couldn't just leave you to deal with this on your own now could I?" The little ermine was definitely planning something as he said this to Negi. "Hey Aniki, listen up, I got a plan."

***

Asuna found her way into an empty restroom and locked the door behind her. She slowly walked over to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Not seeing the bells that she had worn nearly every day felt strange to her. Unconsciously she reached down to her purse and felt the bells between her finger tips. Hearing the subtle chime from the bells brought back memories of why they were so special to her. But as she untied them from her purse to place in her hair she suddenly stopped realizing that they were only special because of Takahata. Right now she knew his true feelings and couldn't bring herself to put on a smile while wearing these bells. She looked at herself in the mirror again and saw the many stains from all the tears she had cried that night. Looking at the bells again she dropped them into her purse, allowing her hair to remain untied.

"I'm such a mess…" she said to herself. "I never thought that brat would follow me though. I wonder what would have happened if he didn't run after me." As she stared into the empty sink she slowly turned on the water, watching as it tried to fill the emptiness. But it didn't make a difference, no matter how much water fell into place, there was always a hole.

Asuna felt numb inside but was also glad that she knew someone was there for her. After watching the water drain away she cupped her hands and splashed the water on her face. It felt good.

"Its morning again… that night hasn't happened yet." She slowly said to herself. "Magic can't fix everything… that's what he told me. Dumbass, you're only tempting fate by bringing me back."

Asuna grabbed some paper towels and slowly dried her face. Throwing the towels into the garbage she looked at herself in the mirror again. "All of that effort, for nothing, I wonder if it was even worth it. Do I even deserve to be loved by anyone?" She paused as she thought about what she had just said and soon smiled in amusement. "He'd get mad at me if he heard me say that again. You truly are a troublemaker… Negi."

***

As Negi patiently waited for Asuna to return he thought about how they should spend their day together. It was already his third trip back to the second day of the festival so he would have to be extra careful to not run into his former selves.

He felt a little excited about spending the day with Asuna but at the same time realized that this was also a serious situation. In his mind he remembered that everything that had happened that night has yet to come into reality. If he prevented it from happening, then maybe Asuna would never have gotten hurt. If that night never happened, then the one he cares about the most will never have had to shed a tear.

"Hey, Chamo-kun…" Negi slowly said.

"Hm? What's up Aniki?" Silence followed as Negi thought about what he was about to say.

"Never mind it's nothing." Negi decided that this was a problem he had to figure out on his own.

"You sure Aniki?" Chamo questioned.

"Yeah it's best I think about it on my own."

"Alright well I'll be in your pocket. Remember the plan Aniki~!" The little fuzz ball was excited.

"Eh? But aren't you afraid that she'll…" Negi was soon cut off as he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Sorry for the wait, there was a long line." Asuna cheerfully said as she approached Negi, but inside she wasn't feeling as happy at all. It pained her a little to have lied to him just now, even if it was just a minor one. In her heart she felt something go wrong. If she couldn't open up to Negi, was she unable to let go of Takahata?

"Ah Asuna-san, I thought that maybe we should change our clothes so we don't get mixed up by our other selves."

"Hm good idea, let's find a costume shop."

While thinking about where the closest costume stand was a glimmer of light flashed from Negi's pocket as an ermine smiled with malicious intent. A white flash of fur bolted out of its hiding place heading straight for Asuna.

"Ermine Sneak Attack~!" A voice came from the white blur as it approached its intended victim.

"Like hell!" As the white blur came within range of Asuna she quickly swatted the incoming projectile throwing it off in the other direction.

"Hehe..just as I expected Ane-san, but I planned ahead. Trick Attack~! Ermine Shoot!" A blue sphere shot out from where Chamo was and went straight into Asuna's mouth. Satisfied with his victory Chamo accepted his fate and closed his eyes with a smile.

"Ah! Chamo-kun that's dangerous!" Negi caught Chamo as he floated by him.

The blue sphere that the ermine threw at Asuna was quickly swallowed by her as she choked on it. A puff of smoke soon engulfed her as the blue sphere took its full effect. The smoke started to clear as Negi and the ermine's eyes became fixated on what was hidden within. Soon a 10 year old Asuna stepped out of the smoke in clothing that was far too big for her.

"You…" A hint of anger was apparent in her voice. "STUPID RAT!!" She grabbed her purse and repeatedly smashed it into the ermine.


End file.
